It’s a Jeep Thing!
Every day I see a Jeep like this in the parking lot of my apartment complex.
It doesn’t matter what time of the day it is, that Jeep always seems to be in the same spot . . . taunting me.
I used to have a Jeep Wrangler that looked pretty similar, except mine had a lift kit on it, so I basically had to throw myself into the driver’s seat. I LOVED my Jeep. And lately I’ve really been missing it.
If you have even been an owner of Jeep – more specifically a Wrangler – you will understand where I am coming from. Being a Jeep owner immerses you into a secret sub-culture. If you drive by another Wrangler, you wave. It doesn’t matter if you know the person or not, you just do it. The camaraderie amongst Jeep owners is like no other. There are even get together’s that are geared specifically towards Jeep owners.
Jeep Jamboree USA
I haven’t been to one yet, but I plan to one day. I just gotta become a Jeep owner again!
And if this post leaves you scratching your head about me, I leave you with this.
And then he turned 4!
On Wednesday I posted this picture of Brennen for my Wordless Wednesday post.
Brennen's 4th Birthday party at McDonald's!
And if you guessed that he recently turned 4 you are right! He actually turned 4 about a month ago but it has taken me this long to come to terms with it. I just can’t believe he is 4 now! Where did the time go??? I remember the year he was born and thinking that he would never get older. But when you are not sleeping and barely functioning, a whole year can feel like 5. I seriously didn’t think I would survive. But I did! Now that he is older and more self-sufficient AND sleeping through the night, I just want to stop time because I love him so much as this age!!!
In celebration of Brennen turning 4, I thought I would share the top 4 things that I love about him the most!
1. He is SO loving! He still loves to cuddle and dish out hugs & kisses. I hope that never changes. Nothing compares to cuddling with my son!
2. He is full of energy! He. Never. Stops. Moving. Seriously!!! Taking him to see a movie at the theatre is a lost cause. He just can not sit still for that long. As exhausted is he makes me at the end of the day, it still makes me happy to see him so active and full of life!
3. He is stubborn. Surprised to hear that I like this about him? Well, I happen to be pretty stubborn myself. In some ways it works for me. It makes me motivated to achieve my goals and not to settle for anything less. If he channels it properly it could be a beneficial trait for him too.
4. He is very friendly! When we go grocery shopping he says hello to everyone we walk by. Luckily we usually go early in the morning when the grandparent type shoppers are out, so they eat up all of his attention! But heaven forbid if you don’t say hello back. He will say, “I said HELLO!” Until they respond. I know eventually I will have to instill some “stranger danger” in him but he is a far cry from the shy little boy who would hide behind me if a stranger came close.
Here are some more pics of Brennen from this past year! I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do!
At the Detroit Zoo!
Happy Birthday Brennen! You are loved more than you will ever know and you have taught me more than I could ever teach you!
Like Mother, Like Son
It’s safe to say that with Fab Ab February in full swing I have push ups on my mind all the time! Speaking of push ups, I have 90 to tackle today! Who wants to join me?
And even if I didn’t have the Fab Ab workout to keep me motivated, I have this little guy.
My son getting his push ups in!
My son is a 4 year old drill sergeant! It’s not unusual for him to say “Let’s do some push ups Momma. Count to 10 with me.”
I certainly don’t make my son do push ups. He genuinely WANTS to do them. Push ups and fitness in general is so integrated into my life that my son is naturally inclined to joining in on the fun as well!
In all honesty when I see my son enjoying push ups, running and other fitness type activities it is in those moments that I feel like I am doing something right. Because lord knows there are tons of other moments when I am not so sure if I am doing the parenting thing right. But for him to view fitness as something fun and normal in his life, I would like to believe I have had a part in that.
On the flip side of that, he motivates me to stay healthy and fit as well because I want to be a good role model for him and I want to be around to enjoy the many milestones he has ahead of him. Not to mention, running and working out makes me a better Mom at the end of the day.
How do you integrate fitness into your kids’ life? If you don’t yet have kids, how do you promote a healthy lifestyle to your loved ones.
Fab Ab February
Since I recently jumped on the Wordless Wednesday bandwagon, I figured it was time for me to start doing follow-up posts to explain them in greater detail. I am going to start with this one.
My Twitter friend @EmilyRatcliff found this:
And then our friend, @BethLynch tweaked it into this!
Yep, we are crazy!
I haven’t had too much difficulty with the sit ups. However, the planks and the push ups are another story. I have actually had to take a break from the push up portion of the plan to give my chest muscles time to recover. Between this and the Tough Mudder workout they are SOOOOO sore!
The plank has become more difficult as the time required to hold it has increased. Not sure what a plank is? Check out this video to find out.
Did you think I would actually post a video of me doing a plank? My son hasn’t mastered shooting videos yet and I thought opting for a hot shirtless guy showing us how to do a plank was a win-win. You’re welcome!
As much as I love the Fab Ab February plan and love challenging myself in general, I have decided that it is in my best interest completely rest on my rest days. Previously if my training plan called for a rest day, I was still completing the Fab Ab February exercises. This has just made me extra tired and has not given my muscles a chance to recoup. But you can be certain I will be completing the Fab Ab February exercise on my regular work out days!
You should join in on the fun too! If you are on Twitter you can follow @EmilyRatcliff, @BethLynch, @PelsRenovation and myself as we complete this challenge. And a Twitter challenge wouldn’t be complete without its own hashtag! Once you complete your Fab Ab Workout of the day (either the original plan or the tweaked plan) just tweet your accomplishment using #FAF, you can be certain that we will be there to congratulate you and motivate you to keep going strong!
Go Sport ID to Benefit WWP
Guess what today is???
It is 2 months from my first Tough Mudder!!! Woot! Oh yeah, it is also Valentine’s Day. Regardless of which day you are celebrating (I am leaning toward the TM celebration myself) I have a special raffle to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project that will be great for both occasions. Or for any occasion for that matter!
Go Sport ID has graciously donated not one, not two, but THREE $25 gift cards to my fundraiser! I am so grateful for their support!
What is Go Sport ID you ask? Well, it is an awesome company whose products will provide you with a piece of mind and also may save your life or the life of a loved one! Their products allow you to carry your “ID” and emergency information with you during times when you may not normally have your ID with you. This could be while you are running or pursuing other active events. Click here to check out all the great products that are offered by Go Sport ID!
So are you ready to win a Go Sport ID gift card????
Here is what you need to do!
1. Donate a minimum of $5 to my fundraiser by clicking here.
2. Leave a comment below that you donated so I know that I should include you in the raffle.
Simple, right? The contest started today (2/14) and will end on 2/28 at 8pm est!!!
Thanks again to Go SPORT ID for their support of my fundraiser. You can find them on Facebook by clicking here and on Twitter by clicking here!
Soldier Story Saturday: I Need Stories!
I am truly amazed at all of the great stories I have been able to feature on the Soldier Story Saturday Series!
In case you missed them, or just want to re-read them, here they are!
MSgt Amee Jo Bergmann – 11/12/11
Surviving a Deployment – 11/26/11
236th Marine Corps Ball – 12/3/11
A Determined Wounded Warrior – 12/10/11
A Tale of Two Soldiers – 12/17/11
Hardest Part of Being Deployed – 12/31/11
Michigan’s Fallen Heroes – 1/7/12
An Army Bandsman on Deployment – 1/21/12
Valentine’s for Veterans – 1/28/12
I was optimistic that I would be able to continue the series through April 14th, which is when I will run the Tough Mudder race. However, I am out of stories and guest bloggers. 
I am writing this post as a last effort to try to fill the 9 more Saturdays that exist between now and then. So if you want to be a guest blogger for this series or if you have a story you want me to write about, let me know! Either post a comment here or email me at bamoats@gmail.com
I am crossing my fingers that this will not be the last post of the series!
